Binge Drinking
by Draco09
Summary: Lame title is LAME. A depressed Danny due to family and girlfriend problems ends up getting drunk at the bar, only to be discovered by Sam. Only when she takes him back to her apartment when things start to get interesting. DXS Rated T for swearing. D I S C O N T I N U E D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey, folks, here's my second DP fanfic! Nope; it's not my first. I started another story in the middle of February and it's been progressing slowly, so I decided to write this XD The story is full of angst and depressing shit, so if you don't like it then don't read it. However, if you're a fan of fluff and DannyXSam… be my guest ;)

My heath class has been discussing things on drugs as well as DWI, and just happened to mention Binge drinking, and there this story came to be. I know something along these lines have been done similarly, but why not add another one to this section while I'm in the mood? :P This ain't my best, but… meh. I was bored. Btw, no one knows Danny's secret, so if Danny Phantom is brought up, remember that Danny's friends are the only ones that know he's the ghost kid.

**WARNING ~ CHARACTER DEATH (No, Danny isn't going to die. Don't freak.)**

**Disclaimer **- I don't own DP, yaduh, yaduh, yaduh… :P You already know that.

**B i n g e D r i n k i n g**

**By Draco**

He set the shot glass down, swallowing the remaining taste of the liquor in his mouth. It was going to be another start to a depressing night. By now he had expecting it, even before he would walk into the dimly lit bar and sit on one of the stools fraught with rust and vandalism. The dark-haired male sighed out of his lack of willpower, not even bothering to stop himself from ordering a refill.

Danny was surrounded by partying men and women alike, dancing or cheering to the sound of ZZ Top or Johnny Cash; oldies were the main genre of music that played, Danny realized. He went to the bar enough times to know that. It's been a week since he started going frequently, so he might as well get to know his surroundings and what goes on. It's not like he'll remember it much in his lifetime, but where can he turn to anymore? Family issues, girlfriend problems, tons of collage work, ghost fighting, and his day time job were hard to balance, and weren't making his life any easier.

The car accident that occurred the previous Sunday started his long chain of problems. A speeding Saturn happened to "accidentally" crash into the Fenton RV one moonless night, when his dad and him were just coming back from father-son outing… something Jack and Danny Fenton haven't done in a long, long while. The crash was devastating, with thousands of dollars worth of damage to the RV, as described by the police. Danny managed to survive the crash with only a mild concussion and a few deep cuts and bruises… but as for Danny's father…

_He was clumsy… and goofy… and sometimes embarrassing… But he was my dad, and a damn good one at that…_

Police eventually realized that the crash was set up, and done on purpose in order to kill the individuals in the RV. Through his aching head and unstoppable pain in his limbs, Danny could make out the slight glow of red in the man's eyes before he was arrested and put into the police car, along with the chiming of his new handcuffs.

_Congrats, Vlad. You finally managed to kill my father. Somehow you were able to do so five years after you decided to murder him?_ Again, Danny took a big gulp of his drink as the thoughts flooded his mind as if the event occurred yesterday.

Maddie Fenton was completely ruined. She was bawling the moment she heard his death, immediately grasping her only son into a long hug. She was glad Danny was still alive and well… but the death of the husband she loved dearly would be remembered for as long as she lives. For the rest of that night after the police left, Danny didn't hear from her, despite his want to comfort and console his distressed (and now only) parent.

Valerie Gray was a lovely woman, and Danny knew that from the moment he laid eyes on her. Her caramel skin would glow in the sun, and her curly black hair would always remind him of the black liquorish that would always sell in the candy stores. Not only that, but she was as sweet as her traits described… until you piss her off.

Often Valerie and he would fight about ridiculous things; she always seemed to yell at him for the small mistakes he made, from forgetting allergy medicine during the spring, to leaving his clothes in the bathroom after he took a shower. She would anger easily, and he realized it the hard way. Strangely, in some cases, it made her more attractive in his eyes, but after a few years of it becoming a major habit, he started seeing her in a different light. The stupidest thing he had done was actually talk back in defense of his own being, but of course she won.

_Typical. Women always win._

Quarreling continued for another two years, up until the other day when he told her how he's been feeling about her yelling and complaining, because he knew his opinion mattered in their relationship. Danny knew she was stressed out with her jobs, but it didn't mean she had to take it out on him. However, confronting the problem and pointing out the cause of her yelling made her even angrier. The hardest thing he did then and there was break up with her, leaving the house and going to his mother's.

He was in love with her, and he didn't want to leave her, but what was a better alternative? He couldn't deal with her yelling and volatile behavior; it was too much, and it made his days even worse than they already were. Since the loss of his father, the least stressful situations were starting to become impossible to overcome… and that included Valerie's constant verbal abuse. Now, he was single and still having reoccurring emotions about his ex.

Danny rubbed his face out of shame, wishing he could turn back time and turn the RV intangible so he could save his father, or somehow say better things to Valerie so he wouldn't have to split up with her. To make things any worse then they already were for him, he nearly lost his day-time job earlier that morning because he was late. Again. Ghost fighting was also taking up his time, and he struggled to maintain an organized schedule when a ghost disrupted the peace. And because of his ghost fighting, he was also struggling to boost his already low grade point average in collage.

_Sucking in math, as usual…_

Downing another shot of liquor, he again asked for another refill, even though he knew it wasn't doing him any good; both physically and mentally. But he didn't care. He stopped caring long ago, because he had a feeling that it was just hopeless. His life was going down the drain, so what else could he do? The only people that would support him were his friends, but he hasn't seen them in a short while thanks to their individual lives. He hasn't gotten together with his lifetime buds Tucker and Sam in a few long days. Other than that, no other option seemed available to him… so he drank. Right at that moment, it was the only thing he could do.

--

"Goddamn Paulina…" Sam grumbled to herself, her steps heavy with anger. "That son-of-a-bitch won't quit being a shallow ass, will she?"

Recently an encounter with the Hispanic female made Sam's blood boil to baking temperature. Even at nineteen, Paulina still felt like she was at the top of the totem pole, not realizing that high school was over, and life would begin from there. She's been asking Sam constantly about Danny, and not because she was curious of his depressed state, but because she knew him and Danny Phantom were _somehow_ similar.

_The dumb bitch can't even tell the difference between the two of them… Why can't she just get over Danny Phantom?_

She didn't give a crap about Danny Fenton, who is one of the nicest boys there were compared to the other stereotypical men, in Sam's opinion. If Paulina actually got past his shy personality and reputation as a geek, then maybe she would see the real him. However, Sam knew that the girl's head was only filled with air (and possibly a few brain cells if she would look hard enough), so trying to convince an irrational person such as Paulina was practically pointless.

Sam continued to stroll down the road, walking home after a long day at work. Thanks to her rich parents, she was able to get a full time job that earned her a living and put bread on her table. Her parents didn't understand why she wanted a job in the first place, since her family did have loads of money, but Sam persisted that she'd get one. She knew that a hard day's work was always rewarding. But, after that long day of work, she was tired and wanted to get home before the street would get too dark. Her encounter with Paulina didn't make her sleepy mood any better, but at least she had an apartment to go back to… and a bed.

Her job was only down the street from her apartment, so a short walk was all that was needed. She didn't mind at all. She needed fresh air after she sat in the office building about ready to gag from the awful stench of cheap air conditioning and compressed oxygen. It always smelled like a new car mixed with the scent of the internal seating of an airplane.

She walked by a nearby bar, rolling her eyes at the racket inside the beat-up building. Despite her distain for drinking and partying out in a public place, Sam couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehensiveness. She passed by the building hundreds of times before, but somehow it felt so alien.

_Danny's been so depressed since the accident, and has been acting strange lately…" _She glanced through the windows of the bar as she slowly walked past. _What if he's--?"_

She wanted to slap herself for even thinking of that thought. She couldn't imagine Danny being unpredictable enough to turn to drugs due to his suffering. Try as she might, she couldn't picture it. His behavior has been a bit off, but that didn't mean that he's been out drinking, hasn't he? She's seen him go to the bar once before on the day of the accident (which was a normal response to a major loss, so she let that behavior slide), but has he been going more often then she thinks? He never spoke about it to her --which was odd-- but she's been suspicious during the past few days. Since his father's death and his break-up with Valerie, he hasn't really been speaking to anyone.

She shook her head. "No, Sam. Just walk away from the bar… go home… get some rest…" She told herself to stay calm, to just relax. If she had to deal with that realization that Danny could become addicted, then she'll immediately be in pieces.

Sam passed the bar, back into the threshold of the night. The bar was the only lively place in the area so far, and its lights were the brightest thing on the street. Once she passed it, she was again in darkness… just the way she liked it. She tried to focus on the bliss she felt when the moonlight kissed any area left uncovered, including her face. Sam didn't want to think about the awful events that Danny went through, or his different behavior, or his possible drinking habits for that matter. All she wanted was some sleep, and possibly listen to a few music tracks from her Evanescence CD.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps were heard behind her. They seemed faint, but Sam grew cautious. If it was some weirdo trying to stalk her for sex or money or whatever the hell weirdoes stalk people for, then she's going to have to run for it. She saw a nearby parked car and decided to slip behind it, away from the sidewalk so that she could see the person who followed her.

The person's footsteps were still faint, but they seemed uneven. Normally when a person walked, the steps were in sync, and could be heard in some sort of pattern. However, this person had a completely different footing altogether, almost as if he or she was stumbling half the way down the street.

"Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o…?" The voice was male, sounding a bit boisterous from where he was at. "Ca-can somebody tell meh where my house is?" He started saying things to himself, which was still loud enough to be heard. "Where's that lady… person…?"

_Oh, great. A drunkard. Looking for _me_. _

Sam could tell from the uneven steps and slurring of the voice that he was intoxicated. His slurring made it hard to tell who it was, but she definitely knew the person was male and that he obviously consumed alcohol. From the mention of the anonymous drunkard following her, she started picturing Danny being the alcoholic… being like _that_ every night.

"Please don't let this guy be Danny… _Please_." Even though she had her fears, she stepped out onto the sidewalk to find out who the heck was following her home (and scaring her half to death). The person's lack of patterned footsteps started getting louder, until he came to show himself once the moon hit his form. Before he was noticeable in the moonlight, he managed to lean his arm against a nearby tree to hold his body up, eventually lifting his head to reveal his face.

"Oh shit… It's Danny," Sam said to herself, rubbing her face out of shock. "Of course it would be the person I feared to see."

Danny, seeing an actual being standing in front of him, decided to ask the question he was hoping to get an answer to. "Hey! Um… hi, do you know where meh house is? I-I kind of… forgot… an' stuff… I swear I knew where it was, but… I don't." He giggled to himself at his own stupidity, while Sam tried her best to keep him balanced.

She realized how serious the whole situation was. Danny was drunk, all on his own, with no one else with him, while any random girl (or guy) could pick him up, or he would get into a car or be the one being run over by one. Things would get catastrophic from there. Certain situations would cause more drama to his life. The only thing she would have to do was bring him to her apartment, where she knew he would be safe.

"Danny, I'm going to have to take you back to my place, since you're this smashed," she tried explaining, grabbing his arm.

"Smashed? Who was smashed?" asked Danny. "Do ya mean Hulk smash?"

_Oh god, why me?_ To humor him, she replied in a less than amused voice. "Yes, Danny. I mean Hulk smash."

"Cool!" shouted a goofily grinning Danny, his arms over his head voluntarily. He sounded even more boisterous than before.

"Shush!" Sam snapped. "Keep it down, will you? People are still sleeping."

"But shouting is _fun_!" He started getting further away from Sam at the moment, most likely to prove his point. Almost instantly Sam was on his trail and kept him in check once again. She grabbed his arm for the second time.

"Danny, please… Try to be quiet and come with me, okay?" she coaxed. "You're not looking too good and it's getting late; you need a place to stay."

Danny's expression looked a bit stern, shaking her hand that was holding his arm away. He crossed his arms stubbornly. "I can lead myself there! Geez, you dun have to do it for me! What am I, a drunken fool?"

_YES!_

Danny tried walking on his own down the sidewalk despite Sam's protesting, but found himself going from one end of the simple trail to the other. Danny failed at walking in a straight line, which was obvious to Sam that he needed her. "See? I'm doin' jus' _fine_!" To basically show how wrong he was, he ended up with his face meeting a course textured tree trunk with a whack; from the impact, his body then met the ground.

"You won't survive ten minutes out here all on your own!" Sam replied to his drunken idiocy. Getting annoyed, she walked over to where he fell and looked down at him, crossing her arms over her chest with her hips leaning to one side in a confident fashion. Her expression was full of smugness, knowing that she was right.

Danny's face was surprisingly calm and collected, with his lips curled into a big grin as if he was about ready to burst out laughing. At that moment, it would have been a good time. "I got knocked down with a tree."

She frowned. _Oh, _that's_ right! Danny's logic and judgment ceases to exist at this time. How _lovely_! _

Sam would have laughed at Danny's obvious statement, but apprehensiveness began to cloud her thoughts. They weren't very far from the bar, and who knows what could happen if another drunkard would walk by.

"Danny, seriously, knock it off," she said. "Try to stand up."

With her help, Danny managed to get his body off the ground, with Sam letting one of his arms drape over her shoulders as if he broke his own leg. In cases like this, it was a better way to keep him balanced, and so that she can get a better grip on him.

She could smell the rancid odor of alcohol on his breath, which made her cringe, both from the consumption of the drug and of his discretion to do so in the first place. The realization that he was doing such a stupid act was making her nervous for his safety, yet it did make her more persistent to help out with his depression. Even though she was one of his best friends since the seventh grade, she knew that when it came to a distressed and angry Danny Fenton, stay away and let him burn some steam. She didn't want to make his losses any more painful than they already were. But because of that, it led him down the road to alcoholism, which was obviously what she didn't want. She needed to monitor him more often than what he would want.

"I still dun get why you have to hold me up," said Danny, after a surprisingly long silence without him babbling like an idiot, "I was doin' fine without you."

She glanced at him, his head less than a foot away from hers. Even in his state and in the darkness of the night, his eyes were still that shade of blue she always admired. She obliged, "Sure, of course you were. Keep telling yourself that." The least she can do was cheer her moody self up with good old sarcasm.

"Don't worry, girly, I will," he told her, finding that he was getting drowsy. To prove his sleepy state, he rested his head on the shoulder that was nearest.

She couldn't help but crack a small smile, even though she hated the word he decided to use for her.

"Danny, you're hopeless when you're drunk."

**A/N**: How come in every fandom I write stories for, I end up making the main characters drunk? O__o Whatever.

So, yeah, this is the first part, and hopefully I'll get the final parts done and over with so that this is out of my head. It's been bugging me for days. In other terms, REVIEW! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thanks a lot for the favs and reviews, guys :) I really appreciate it. That and I don't get a lot of favs on a daily basis :P I was pleased to already find a few reviews after recently posting the story last week. I'm glad people at least like my work since I've been gone for long periods of time. It's glad to be back and writing stories again. Inspiration is slow, so I'm glad I was able to get into Danny Phantom and write some fanfics for it.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this part. It's probably not very exciting, but the next chapter is --hopefully-- going to be.

Again, I don't own DP. Hell, no one in fanfic history owns the shows they write for.

--

Sam unlocked her apartment door, whilst trying to hold up a nearly dormant Danny Fenton. The weight on her shoulder was starting to bother her, and lightly moved Danny's head so he would ease the strain on her sore deltoid muscle. She sighed exasperatedly when Danny moved back into the position that caused the most pain. She rolled her eyes, walking through the door once she managed to put her own keys away.

Carefully trying to move out of the way of the door before closing it, she turned on the light to a small, cream-colored kitchen area, the one that could be found in hotel suites on vacation spots. To her right, a small coffee table held up a lamp, which was where she put her purse temporarily. Next to the coffee table was a computer desk and its chair, while directly across from it was a dark hallway that appeared to be vacant. To the right of the computer desk, half of a beaten up couch sat with most of its exterior burnt off, as well as a few of its skirts practically gone… wherever the hell they went; the pillows were nothing but white cotton and torn pieces of thread. The demolished couch ended up the way it did when Danny Phantom was fighting with one of his arch enemies, Skulker, the previous day. Danny just _happened_ to be in front of _her_ apartment when Skulker fired his ecto-energy gun, which of course didn't hit Danny and instead hit her furniture. Thankfully the energy gun only broke the glass to the sliding glass door in order to hurt the innocent couch.

_Sometimes I wish Skulker was actually _good_ at ghost hunting so I wouldn't have to pay more money, which I should be spending on something more substantial. _Sam glanced at Danny, who was about ready to fall asleep any moment, and quickly shook him awake.

"Danny, for god's sake, just keep your eyes open for a little while longer," she said, a bit annoyed.

"But I'm _tired_," he whined rather childishly.

"Well, then, if you're so damn tired, then why don't you go find a bed to, you know, fall asleep in?" Even though Danny was being a drunken idiot, the least she could do was distract him while she could relax for the time being and get help. She couldn't handle an intoxicated male such as Danny on her own… not when he was being this unpredictable; she was about ready to yank out a good chunk of her ebony hair from the little amount of time she spent with him.

"Okay, _fine_," Danny replied, getting off Sam's shoulder and unsteadily started walking. Sam, seeing that he had the confidence to do things on his own, practically collapsed out of exhaustion on the comfy chair that was assigned to the computer desk. She watched with amusement at Danny's attempts to do things by himself. His vision was blurry and he could only see double, and his lack of balance didn't make his situation any easier. The unstable movements he made caused him to instinctively grab onto a nearby chair that was closest to the dinner table.

"Danny, do you need some--?"

"I can do it!" snapped Danny, making him sound even less like a grown-up. Taking a tentative hand off the chair, he lingered in his standing position for a few moments and began walking towards the hallway that was just around the corner from the kitchen. Sam didn't even want to deal with his insanity anymore.

_God, it's about time…_

"Time to get Tucker," she said, forcing her weakened body to stand up and walk over to the house phone above the kitchen light. Quickly dialing Tucker's number, she waited for someone on the other end of the line to pick up.

Tucker didn't live far from Sam; he was living in an apartment on the first floor, while she was living on floor five. She could easily walk to Tucker's apartment so she wouldn't have to pay even more money for using up valuable minutes, but with Danny in his state and completely loopy beyond all reason, who knows what would happen while she was gone…

After about three rings from the other line, Tucker still didn't pick up. "C'mon, Tuck, don't let your roommate answer it…"

_He's probably not home…_

After two more rings, Tucker left a message that he wasn't there, making Sam seethe with frustration. "Of course he's not there when I need to talk to him…"

She looked at her computer, the lamp's light showing the obvious dust particles on the black screen. Sam thought to herself.

"Tucker, if you're just being a dork and not picking up the phone because you don't feel like it, then I guess I'm going to have to talk to you through webcam." Going over to her desktop, she turned on her Apple PC and logged onto her account, typing in her password which opened to a Nightwish wallpaper with innumerable little icons all around the corners of the computer screen. Accessing Logitec, she tried to get access to Tucker's PC.

"I hope you have your computer on…" she said to herself. After a few minutes, and to Sam's relief, her cam was able to see Tucker's messy bedroom, which was fraught with dirty clothes, a couple of plates that were from previous dinners, and even a sock sitting directly on the keyboard. Sam wasn't surprised, but even though he wasn't much of an organized person, Tucker wasn't _this_ messy. She suspected that he might have been preoccupied for a few days, and wasn't able to tidy up.

Sam spoke. "Tucker? Tucker, are you there?" No answer. Not even a few background noises, except the faint sound of a toilet flushing. She heard a door open across the room, and eventual footsteps. Soon, the tired-looking face of Tucker Foley filled the computer screen, with the same old red cap on his head and thick-rimmed glasses. Sam, despite Tucker's state of sleepiness, decided to repeat herself.

"Tucker!" she nearly shouted.

Tucker practically jumped five feet in the air at her sudden yelling, and from his point of view, saw a little window that had Sam's face and apartment area to the left side of his Microsoft Word document. Rubbing his face of any sleep, he enlarged the window and put on a weak smile.

"Hey, Sam, what's going on, besides giving me a heart attack?" he asked in a comical way, yawning.

"Are you okay, Tuck?" she asked, even though her concern for Danny took up most of her thoughts, "You look like you're about to drop." She at least wanted to start out her talk with Tucker with a random conversation so she wouldn't feel so nervous.

He yawned again before replying. "I have this big essay I have to finish for English, and I have to write twelve pages for it, and I'm still on page three! I've been working since I got home and it's been so annoying."

"Are you talking about that specific essay that is due _tomorrow_?" Sam asked.

Tucker smiled sheepishly. "Well… um… er… Yes."

Sam's unimpressed expression made Tucker start pulling his shirt collar out of embarrassment. "You procrastinated on another major assignment, didn't you?"

"Yup, pretty much."

Sam rolled her eyes. _Same old Tucker…_

"I'm guessing the first time you ever touched the project was today at 5:30?" she again decided to ask, just to be smug about it and amuse herself.

"Wow, you're a natural at estimating," Tucker replied. Checking the time on his monitor, Tucker widened his eyes at the large numbers on his Start Menu. "And holy shit, it's almost twelve!"

"Ugh… I know," Sam said, rubbing her own face to try to wipe off any sleep she felt coming.

"I've been working on this thing for almost seven hours!" Tucker continued to freak.

"_Seven_ hours?" Sam again seemed unimpressed. "You've got only three pages done and you've been working on it since 5:30? Dude, you absolutely fail at getting homework done. Even at nineteen you're still a procrastinator."

"Okay, so I'm not the most organized being, so what?" Tucker shot back, defending his position. "At least I'm trying to get this done…"

Tucker started to notice Sam's lavender eyes as they almost seemed to tear up out of either sadness, distress, frustration, or just female issues he didn't want to know about. Whatever the case may be, he knew she looked upset, even though she tried to hide the expressions by her drooping eyes.

_I wonder what's wrong with her… She looks awful, besides her lack of sleep._

"Hey… Are you feeling alright? You look like you're about ready to bawl." Sam glanced back at Tucker who had a look of concern, and she knew she had to go ahead and tell one of her other best friends what had to be said.

"Tucker… I was walking home last night since my boss let me out late, and… I found Danny drunk and following me down the street. I finally managed to get him back to my apartment after a long hour, but I need someone's help, like, _now_…"

She paused, sighing; feeling pained to even tell Tucker her situation. "I can't do this on my own, not when Danny's like this and I can't stand to see him in this state. It really breaks my heart that he's gotten this despondent enough to start drinking like this! I just…" She couldn't seem to finish her sentence, her eyes glancing away from the computer screen, licking her lips apprehensively as Tucker started to feel even worse than she was.

_Ah. So THIS is the problem. She found out finally… _Since being told of Danny's father's death, Danny has been starting to drink heavily and only told Tucker of his new habits. Danny and he both agreed to not speak of it to Sam… for he and Danny knew that she'll be completely horrified, not to mention surprised. Sam would most likely lecture the two about the dangers of alcoholism, which would have stopped Danny's drinking then and there. The only problem was that it wouldn't stop his depression… the loss of this father that left a deep scar. It would cause even more internal turmoil, and Tucker felt that Sam's immediate halt of Danny's consumption would make him even more distressed than he already was. Without something to comfort him, he'll practically lose his mind. Either way, Danny, himself, and Sam wouldn't benefit from any of the options.

_Idiot! _Why_ did you let him do it?! _Tucker wanted to smack himself silly for letting something this small turn into something almost impossible to stop. Danny could develop an addiction and it could be difficult for him to break away from it. Tucker only wanted to help him, and wanted him to make his own choices, and the choice Danny made was his choice and no one else's. Tucker couldn't change that, and left it at that. The only thing he could possibly do was support his best friend whenever he could.

Tucker finally spoke up after a minute long silence. "How bad is he?"

"He's really smashed, but I think he'll be okay," replied a now disheartened Sam. "I'm still worried about it, though…"

Tucker's guilt was starting to consume his own self. "Sam, look, I didn't mean to do it, and I didn't want to let this happen, but I knew already; about this whole thing with Danny drinking like this…"

Sam looked at the chocolate-skinned male with wide eyes. "You already knew about this?" Her voice was a mix of surprise and anger.

"Yes, and I'm sorry!" Tucker was quick to respond, hoping Sam won't beat the living daylights out of him. "We knew you would overreact about it and try to stop it, and he really needed something to comfort himself with. Nothing was working out for him and he had enough of the stress. I couldn't change his decision and let him decide, because I knew that it was his choice and his choice only. I couldn't change his discretion. Please, try to understand…"

"Oh, I _understand_, Tucker," Sam's voice was cracking, about ready to cry and about ready to grab a sledge hammer and run to Tucker's apartment. "I _understand_ that you wouldn't want me to interfere with his troubles, because obviously that's what friends are supposed to do, god forbid I do something. I _understand_ that I overreact about certain issues my friends deal with because I give a shit. I _understand_ that you don't involve me, since that's illogical and I'm apparently not apart of someone's life. I _UNDERSTAND_ just about every single goddamned thing you said, Tucker Foley!" Sam began to hold her mouse in a death grip, nearly crushing the black plastic.

"Sam, please, listen to me!" Tucker said, trying to calm the distressed female. "I know it wasn't the right thing--"

"Oh, you bet it's not!" Sam began her rage once again, which made Tucker wince. "If he continues this bullshit, then it's going to be impossible to wean him off of his habit! I could have at least offered him some coping mechanisms, and stop it before it would be a major issue, but instead you let him do his own thing, which caused him to make the wrong choices."

With a long sigh, Sam breathed out of relief that she finally got her bottled up emotions off of her chest. She glanced again at Tucker, who looked like a deer in headlights from her outrage.

Summoning his courage to finish his sentence, Tucker continued his story. "The only reason why we agreed not to tell you was because your lecturing could stop his only source for comfort. He has us, but what can we do? It's not our fathers that were murdered from a car crash, so who else can he turn to?

"If you started spitting out your logic and force him to cut the shit he's been doing, then the other forms of comfort he'll turn to could be even worse then getting high. Think about it; there are many other negative forms of comfort out there that Danny could turn to instead of alcohol."

Sam paused for the moment to list all the other possibilities and sighed again to herself. She glanced at the screen again to see Tucker looking even more despondent than herself. His teal eyes were filled with concern for both of his best friends. _I hate it when I overreact…_

"Dude, you're right…" she admitted. "Even though it wasn't the best thing to do to let Danny do it, you did the right thing by staying by him and supporting him whenever he could. This makes me wonder… How bad was he while _you_ were dragging him to your apartment?"

Tucker seemed reluctant to share. "Do you honestly want to know?"

"From the way you're talking, no."

"Good. He was WAY worse than what you're going through."

Sam raised her eyebrow and glanced behind her to hear noises in her bedroom. _Danny… if you go through my dresser I'm going to kill you…_

"Damn… And I thought _this_ was bad."

Tucker chuckled, eventually yawning again. "God, I need to get some sleep…"

"I'm bothering you with your work right now, aren't I?" said Sam.

"Well, sort of, but this is way more important than some stupid essay, so I don't give a damn."

"Ha, ha, very funny. But seriously, you have to get back to work and go to sleep. I'm taking up your needed time."

"Thanks, Sam," said Tucker. "E-Hug?"

Sam rolled her eyes mockingly and embraced her monitor as if to give Tucker a needed hug, while Tucker did the same. "I prefer a real one, but this will have to do."

"Yeah…" replied Tucker. "So, do you want me to come by tomorrow morning to check on you two? Since I'm doing this pain in the ass essay and I'm exhausted enough as it is, I might as well try to get in touch."

"That would be awesome," Sam said. "Thanks a lot, Tuck. I just needed to talk and get this off my chest, that's all…"

"No big," obliged Tucker. "I wish you luck with Danny."

Sam shrugged, a nonchalant expression on her face. "Pft. Yeah…"

Shutting down her PC, Sam instantly rested her head on the computer desk, too tired to even get ready for sleep. She looked at the clock to see that it was a quarter past one in the morning, which made her even more miserable. "Ugh. I'll be tired for work tomorrow…"

Finally having the energy to get up, she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash out her face to get rid of her dark make-up. Throwing away a make-up removal pad, she washed her hands and made her way into her bedroom, expecting to find Danny doing something stupid.

In fact, she was right. Lying on her bed was a sleeping Danny Fenton, under the covers and snoozing like a new born child. "He just hadto be in _my _bed, didn't he?" Sam said to herself, loathing her own ignorance for letting him roam around alone in the first place.

_Oh god, where the hell am I going to sleep? The couch is destroyed, and I really don't want to sleep in a chair, much less the ground…_

Sam's pondering led her down a strange path, and it practically hit her in the face when she realized the other alternative.

"I can't believe I'm going to do this…"

--

Sam only stared at the only empty spot on her large bed, pajamas on and ready for sleep. Danny was fast asleep on the other side of the mattress while the side she was facing was left wide open for another person to lie down on… which she knew had to be her.

_I _really _don't want to do this…_

Gulping any fear she had, she gingerly got onto the bed, trying not to wake Danny up and slowly started to lay her body against the comfortable bed, sighing peacefully. After a long, painful day of work and having to come home with a drunken best friend, sleep was wanted both mentally and physically. Her muscles relaxed, her mind eased, and she shut her eyes, turning off the light beside her and pulling the covers around her form. With another deep sigh, Sam focused on the endless darkness when her eyes lids shut, trying to get rid of any other thoughts besides the fact that she was home, in bed, and going to sleep… even though she was about ready to fall asleep while her best friend was in bed with her. Making a disturbed expression by the mere thought, she simply tried to zone it out and try to forget about it.

Sam felt a body move on the bed, realizing that Danny switched positions. She could slightly hear him groaning, or mumbling, or saying some sort of gibberish. Opening one of her eyes sluggishly, she growled to herself that a sleeping male wouldn't even let her rest for at least five minutes. Danny, however, started moving his arms against the pillow and the sheets that were covering him, making an irritating noise against the blankets. Sam tried ignoring his noises, despite how hard it was.

For the moment, Danny was finally silent, making Sam wonder if he'll start making noise again in another few seconds. She waited about half a minute to see if he would move around or mumble something anonymous, but he did nothing of the sort. _Odd..._

Knowing that he wouldn't make anymore disruptions, she smiled approvingly and snuggled into her warm bed, inhaling the smell of the cleaning product she used to cleanse the sheets. Suddenly, out of the blue, she felt something hit her nose hard, making her jump out of surprise. It turned out to be a masculine hand, which she knew belonged to Danny. _Since when was Danny a violent sleeper?_

She glared at him, getting his hand off her face. Once she pushed his hand away, she suddenly stopped to notice his peaceful dormant state; his other unthreatening arm drooping over the side of the bed casually. His mouth was open slightly while some of his dark hair was in front of his face like graceful brush strokes on watercolor paper. As he breathed, she noticed the rise and fall of his chest.

She blinked a few times to clear her head. _Focus, Sam. You're supposed to be mad at him, remember?_ She resumed her angry state, despite her perverted brain's longing to resume 'checking him out' while he was asleep. She shut her eyes once again, hoping --_praying_-- that she would get some much needed sleep.

Suddenly, Danny grasped onto Sam's body, hugging her torso and resting his head on her chest area. A smile seemed to form on his face, as if he was comfortable with the position he was in. However, Sam's reaction was more than surprised, for she was fully aware of the little amount of space there was between the two of them. _He'd better not be doing this on purpose! _She knew he was probably just dreaming, and his movements were basically from whatever kind of odd imagination that was happening inside his head. Nevertheless, she needed to get him off her… or else she'd go mad.

The scent that drifted to her nose was the culprit for her sudden serenity. It was a pleasant smell, not too strong, and not too weak. The particular smell reminded her of the fresh air in nature, and maybe spiced with the scent of the atmosphere after it rained; the kind that smelled clean and didn't consist of polluting byproducts. There really wasn't much of a smell at all, but it somehow had a specific fragrance that consisted of the elements found outside. Who, or what, was the culprit? To her own surprise, it was none other than Danny's own tufts of black hair.

Sam shook her head to clear her head, while her brain protested yet again. _What is wrong with you, Sam? Cut this shit out and go to bed! You don't care how nice his hair smells, and that is final._

She glanced at Danny's position, trying to find a way to move him without him awaking. If he woke up, then she'll have to deal with the whole process of his buffoonery all over again. Sam grasped his hands that were holding her waist and put them at his side, and then took his head into her slender hands and set it down gently beside her.

Sam finally felt at peace again, knowing that her nerves were calmed and that her endorphins weren't rushing as quickly as they were before. Even though Danny was sleeping, the actions he performed on her made her body feel warm… both on the inside and outside. She couldn't help it; a member of the opposite sex grabbing a female part of the body, like the waist, was exhilarating. Once again, she flushed the dangerous thoughts out of her mind so they wouldn't corrupt her thinking. _I need to stop it. It's stupid to think things like that about your best friend… I just need to grapple with them some more and they'll go away. Yeah… yeah, that's it…_

Danny thankfully turned away from her, making her feel a bit better now that there was a bit of space between the two of them. She turned away as well, making her feel even more at ease that she wasn't watching him again. For the final time, she shut her eyes and ignored all other sounds around her… drifting into a peaceful slumber at last.

**A/N**: Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not very interesting. This is just a basic chapter explaining some of the back story behind the events in the story so you'll know … as well as some DxS fluff 3 Teehee…

And yes, the part when Danny hit Sam in the face while he was asleep actually happened to me before with my younger sister. I thought I might add that in for the hell of it. Looking back on it, it was hysterical and I laugh about it all the time now. But, while dealing with it, I was pretty pissed that I wasn't falling asleep because _somebody_ was flinging their arms around XP

Other than that, please give me some feedback. I haven't updated in a few weeks just to write this sucker out, so I need some 'umph' to make me write X) 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: YAAAAAAAY you guys are awesome for giving me reviews! It makes me happeh :D

--

A sliver of light found its way into Sam's dark bedroom, casting its radiance directly on Danny's face. His eyebrows met each other out of annoyance, the sun bright enough to shine through his closed eyes. He wished the irritating sunshine would go away so it would let him snooze for another few hours, since his body felt fatigued. Knowing he couldn't fight against the sun, he opened his groggily eyes in defeat. At first the room was spinning out of control, and it was disorienting just by lying down. He was too distracted with his double vision to even recognize the room he was sleeping in.

_Oh, Christ… my head…_

Putting a hand to his head, Danny moaned at the expected pain. _ I feel just as wonderful as I did yesterday. _He tried closing his eyes again, but ended up having the sun's glare blind him once more. Groaning, Danny changed his position and turned the other way on the bed, not wanting to open his eyes out of his feelings of exhaustion. _Okay, Fenton… are you at Tucker's house again? I'll bet myself a dollar that I'm in Tucker's bedroom, probably sleeping in his bed, with an empty beer bottle at the nightstand and--_

While he was in his train of thought, he simultaneously opened his eyes and expected to see a dirtied room with Tucker's DELL computer still humming on his unorganized desk, but the image he saw instead caught him by surprise. He almost choked on his own saliva from the startling scene.

What he saw was a familiar tangled mess of short black hair, as well as a pair of closed eyes and a serene expression on the person's face. Her curves were palpable through the thin sheets, practically molding every part of her body. Her arms were cradling the pillow she rested her head upon, while a small piece of the T-shirt she wore to bed was folded back from the tossing and turning in her dormant state… exposing some of her cleavage.

Danny swallowed an ever-growing lump that was forming in his throat. _I've been with her for _how_ long and I'm suddenly noticing these things? I never knew Sam could look so --wait a minute… _SAM_?!_

He jolted upright, sitting up in Sam's bed with fear practically grappling him to death. "Oh, my gosh… Did I just --No, no… no, it can't be! I didn't; I shouldn't; I couldn't!" He looked around the room, suddenly feeling nauseated and dizzy again, frantic as a March Hare. He got out of the comfortable bed and sprinted to the bathroom, hoping to find a toothbrush in the drawers. After digging one out of the closet behind him, he found the tube of toothpaste and dumped it on the brush, turning on the faucet on full power and wetting it. He stuck it in his mouth and scrubbed his mouth until he knew it was raw.

_I can't believe I just did something so incompetent! What will she think of me now? What'll this do to our friendship? _He spat the toothpaste foam in his mouth into the sink, watching it go down the drain and began hearing his own heart beating in his ears.

He sluggishly glanced at the mirror in front of him, his face white from his sickly state and the bags under his eyes turning light lavender. The light blue eyes he happened to own were practically lifeless of any vibrancy. His hair was frenzied, mostly out of the tossing and turning he did the previous night, and from the scene he woke up to. Worst of all, he felt completely disgusted with himself.

"This just isn't my day…"

Another wave of nausea came over him again, and he almost seemed to go green in the face. The familiar aching of his upset stomach didn't surprise him. By now he practically welcomed it, knowing that it was an expected consequence for his actions. The effects of the drug would cause him some hangover symptoms for most of the day, which would mean that work won't be too easy… as well as ghost hunting. Making no attempt at willpower (since it was practically pointless anyway), he doubled over the sink and hurled.

_Oh, man… No matter how many times I'll do this, it'll always suck._

After taking the moment to throw up, he cautiously lifted his head from the dirtied sink, wiping his mouth and hoping that it was over. However, he was wrong, and immediately started puking once again. When the nausea passed, he leaned against the bathroom counter, eventually sitting on the toilet seat and chose to relax for the time being. He eyed the waste basket just in case.

_Danny Fenton, you are a goddamned _idiot_. _

He removed the annoying strands of hair hanging in his face with the brush of his hand, only for them to fall in front of his eyes again. He grew despondent, knowing that his drinking habit wasn't helping himself or the people he cared about… like his friends and family. Thankfully his mother didn't hear about it yet, or else she'd be just as freaked out as Sam would be. He visited her frequently so she'd be comforted by his father's loss, knowing that she was probably suffering just as much as he was with the deep scar left embedded on their hearts. Everyday he witnessed her sobbing, wishing to turn back time and somehow stop the ignorant person from causing the 'accident'. From those thoughts, Danny felt guilty for not even bothering to go intangible during the crash; he knew he could have done something… _anything_. He's stopped dozens of crimes around Amity Park over the years, even saving people's lives… and yet he wasn't able to save his own father's.

_Some hero I turned out to be…_ _Way to go, Daniel._

He held his head in his hands, struggling not to shed tears; he knew it wouldn't help. In fact, nothing would. Nobody could comfort him; nobody could get him out of the endless cycle of grief. It wasn't helping that Valerie was gone from his world, and that other stresses were creating more turmoil in his already messed up life.

He exited Sam's bathroom, going into the main room and sat down at the dining room table, pondering more and more about the tragedies. He couldn't get them out of his mind now that they decided to enter through the ever-open back door. _I need a damn key for that back door…_

Danny _wanted_ to escape from the sadness, wanting the endless depression to go away, but nothing seemed to help him recover… unless he had a shot of liquor. He slapped himself mentally for thinking dump shit like that. Another thing he wanted to get rid of was his sudden desire to retire to drugs, which he knew wasn't good for him, obviously, and it showed. He was more tired than usual, he felt even more depressed than he was last week when the accident occurred, and the more important tasks that needed to be done didn't seem so important any more.

_I'm losing my mind… and my discretion. But… it's so goddamn hard to wean off it… I've grown so used to it already._

As he expected, another wave of nausea came, and he got up from his chair to the kitchen sink. He once again threw up, though it was mostly his stomach pumping out his digestive juices. A groan escaped his lips, which he wiped shortly afterwards. Noticing the remaining fluid in the sink, he turned on the faucet and watched as the remnants of his vomit disappeared down the drain.

He sighed. "This is going to be another long day…"

Danny suddenly heard something hit the floor, realizing that whatever was in his pocket eased the weight he's been feeling in his pocket. He looked down too see a brown wallet lying on the floor, a few credit cards sticking out from the leather material. Remembering that he brought it along to pay for the drinks, he picked it back up and suddenly had a reoccurring thought once he saw a few dollar bills sticking out from the interior of the wallet.

_Oh yeah…_

He returned to Sam's bedside, taking the moment to glance at her sleeping form, his body warming from the adorable site of her position… and how beautiful she looked. He didn't know why he started thinking those thoughts, and he was scared to find out. A week smile spread on his face, noticing how peaceful she seemed. He felt his heart flutter, but quickly snapped out of his trance once he realized how distracted he was becoming.

_Take it easy, Fenton. You're past your teen years. You should know better. Quit drooling for Christ's sake!_

Remembering his reason for being at her bedside, he started digging through his wallet and sought out a single dollar bill with good old Washington printed on the front. He set it down on Sam's night desk, blocking the digital clock with its blocky red numbers. Along with the dollar, he attached a yellow postage note. He quickly left once the note stuck to the thin green paper, not wanting to be sucked back into his bewildering trance and retreated back into the main room.

On the little note read three little letters:

_I O U_

"Why am I suddenly so distracted by her?" Danny asked himself, walking randomly through the main room. "I never think shit like this! What the hell is up with my head today?"

Scratching his head in thought, he took a seat on the desk chair and sighed heavily. "I blame my goddamned hangover… It's making me go insane."

Danny's depression had dominated his life since most of the week, and his endless sadness made him miserable 24/7. He tries everyday since the accident to stay strong, and to just keep going in life, no matter how many bumps in the road there may be. The pain hurt him more than anything else… even more than some of his severe injuries from some of the ghosts he's fought. The only way to cope with the pain was to drink, which lead to even more depression and despondent thoughts, making him go in an endless circle of grief and despair.

But then _those_ thoughts emerged… his sudden admiration for Sam's physical appearance. It really scared him. Honestly, it did. It eased the raging battle that was being fought in his head, but the reasons why he chose to think of her in that way was the cause of his fear. He only felt that way once, way back in high school when his hormones were practically unstoppable. Looking back on his teen years, he knew now that those feelings he felt were nothing more than his emotions running hay-wire. It was only puppy love. Eventually the rushing emotions died down as he grew older --thank god-- and his hormone-driven thoughts for his best friend vanished into the air as if they never existed…

…And then they finally came back to haunt him.

"Yeah… I'm definitely losing my mind," he told himself, gulping. "I've got to stop it… It's stupid and pathetic and weird."

He hoped to talk to someone about it, and he didn't care who, as long as it was someone he knew he could trust.

_Like dad…_

He saddened, eyes dropping to the floor. Danny remembered talking to his father during most of his high school years about the girls he liked, or situations that he had trouble with. His dad wasn't always the best person to receive advice from, but he did listen, and he was able to cheer him up. That and he was the only person he was able to come to for certain questions; mostly with issues involving puberty. He wouldn't dare go to his mother for personal things like that. He chuckled mentally at the small conversation he had with his father on that day, knowing that his goofy inventions for ghost hunting or his sudden want for fudge made him smile… no matter how embarrassing it was in front of his peers. He still loved him, and he always will for as long as he'll remember him.

_I miss you, dad._

Suddenly his eyes flashed a bright green out of anger, which made his adrenaline pump through his veins. Danny wanted revenge. He wanted it _bad_. Vlad finally managed to kill Jack Fenton after many years of his own twisted thoughts of vengeance… and he wanted to get back at the pain he had to go through during the slow week, which had been soaked in liquor.

His fists clenched in a tight ball, ectoplasmic energy forming around them as the anger started to feed his intentions. The young hero he once was as a teen reemerged after a long while, wanting to go to that snake's house and slay the damn thing. But inside, as his adult self, he knew it wasn't worth it, or right for that matter. What good would it do if he would shrink to Vlad's level of evil? Killing Vlad would have made him happier, but it wouldn't bring his dad back, no matter how much he'll beat the living shit out of him. He had to think of the consequences, since he hasn't been thinking much about them since he started drinking. It would have been a nice time to start.

He powered down, taking a deep breath to calm himself down and slumped into the desk chair he still sat in. Danny gulped down another lump in his throat, holding back the cruel thoughts and his lust for alcohol… as well as tears. _Fight the urge, Danny. You've had the willpower to fight against greater enemies… so don't make yourself one._

--

Lavender eyes opened to the sneaky sun in the window, deciding to cast its radiance on Sam's eyes and blind her the moment her irises were vulnerable. She winced at its annoying glare, turning herself around in the opposite direction on the mattress. _I hate my stupid curtains. Home Dept. told me that it would block out _all_ sunlight._

Lazily moving her arm to the once occupied side of the bed, she wanted to be sure if Danny was awake. To her surprise, he was, judging by a lack of a male body sleeping beside her. "Already, Daniel?" she asked herself. "He's an early bird…" She yawned loudly, sitting up cautiously on her bed and stretched. She hoped that Danny wasn't getting into more trouble, but thankfully he would be experiencing hangover symptoms and would probably be more laid back for the time being. Whatever the case may be, she had to get out of bed before she would have to go to work. She looked to her left so she could read the clock, but to her confusion, a dollar bill sat like a wilted daisy over the digital device. She arched her eyebrow, picking it up and pushing her hair behind her ears so they wouldn't dangle in front of her eyes. She spotted the little note attached to it and read it to herself:

_I O U_

"An IOU? For _what_? Since when did I owe him money?" Still in a state of bewilderment, she decided to shrug it off and left the dollar dangling over the digital clock, which she now knew read seven-thirty. Work was going to start in less than an hour.

"Time to get your ass out of bed, Manson," she said to herself, sighing heavily as she forced her body to get off the comfy mattress. She longed for a better night's sleep. Thanks to her incident with Danny the previous night, she lost at least three hours that should have been spent snoozing. Nevertheless, yesterday night was an interesting one.

As she dragged herself into the bathroom to do her daily regiments, her thoughts started to drift back to Danny… as well as the reoccurring emotions she felt while his perverted mind caused him to grasp her own body. An unfamiliar shock went through her when she started talking to herself about it; the feeling of his hands touching her abdomen, and the way he was sleeping with his hair in front of his face… and the sweet smell of nature that filled her nose when she caught the scent of his hair. _Flying around Amity Park does involve the elements…_

She stripped before hopping into the shower, turning on the warm water that always drained the stresses from her mind. She smiled pleasurably as the water hit her skin, causing a feeling of warmth and comfort as she used her hands to pull back her dark hair to rinse. However, the water wasn't the only thing that caused a sense of warmth and comfort…

Flashes from the previous night and the same emotions started to tantalize her. _NO. Stop what you're doing right now, Sam, and get a hold of your mind! It's not right…_

She couldn't help but start to wonder _what_ Danny was dreaming about, causing him to grab onto her form. Was he dreaming of some kind of love? Comfort? _Sex?_ She pondered on that thought. _Well… he _is_ male. A very _visual_ male. _

Sam shook her head. She knew Danny would only be more human if he dreamt of sexual intercourse, but a nagging voice started to talk to her when she continued to dig in the already deep hole. _He was dreaming about _you_,_ _Samantha… Wanting you to return the love he longed for…_

"Bullshit."

_You know it's true._

Okay, so she suspected it, but why would he dream of her? Why not Valerie or Paulina, or even Starr for that matter? Those were the girls he would go after, so why her? She rolled her eyes to herself, cursing for even bothering to think thoughts like that. High school was over, and this stuff didn't need to happen in her life, especially since she wanted to get away from it in the first place. She chose to ignore her epic battle against her own goddamned conscience and finished her shower, which was taking a lot longer than she intended.

--

He stared at the metallic refrigerator, his back leaning against the kitchen counter with an anxious right leg tapping impatiently. Danny swallowed the saliva in his parched mouth, wanting something to clench his sudden thirst. His choices, however, weren't a variety. He knew he was losing his internal battle.

_You're just thirsty. No biggy, Fenton. Just grab a glass…_

At the same time, he searched the cabinets to find a tall glass cup, ready to be filled. He looked behind his shoulder to once again glance at the fridge, part of himself wanting to open it. But then he noticed the water dispenser attached the door that opened to the freezer, and smiled with relief covering his face. He confidently walked to the freezer, and put the glass against the dispenser. The light flickered on, and at first the dispenser paused, almost as if it ran dry. Danny held his breath, fearing that there wouldn't be any water to fill up his glass… which would resort to other drinks he hoped to not come in contact with.

He heard a few sounds coming from the dispenser, and he waited patiently --for now-- for the water to come. When he expected to hear the clear swooshing sound of water against a clean glass, he heard the loud crackling and banging of rectangular shaped ice. He stopped the flow of ice into his glass, and cursed. He wanted to drink water before he would start to crave.

"Shit…"

He noticed that the button on the dispenser was assigned to ice, and realized his mistake. _Oh, duh._

He lifted his finger to click the button that had a picture of water being poured into a cup, but paused. His craving for a better tasting beverage made him stop in his tracks, and to even think that he was _starting_ to make progress. He again looked at the other door handle directly beside him, finding it too irresistible to back down.

Danny quickly looked away, and focused on the button he was about to press on the water dispenser, a serious look on his face. But, once again, his icy blue eyes focused on the handle.

_Awe, Christ… Why is it so hard to choose?_

He felt clammy and warm, enough to not even feel the glass that was below freezing in his hand. He started to sweat, fighting against his will. He knew he couldn't do it, and it wouldn't make the situation better if he did. However, he couldn't fight it any longer and he needed to decide.

A voice in his head tried to convince him otherwise. _Sam's in the shower right now, Danny… Take a chance. Don't let the little time you have left go to waste. Do it._

Danny took the glass off the dispenser and practically slammed it on the nearby counter out of frustration, thankfully not enough to crack it. "Damn this all to hell!"

--

Sam stepped out of the shower, the colder air making her body shiver. She grabbed her towel lying on the bathroom floor and started to dry herself off at a relatively slow pace. The clock that sat near the sink said 8:02 AM. Her shower lasted twenty minutes longer than she wanted. _All these thoughts are making me lose track of time… _

Not only was she going to be late for work, but she was worried sick about Danny. She was going to have to face him again the moment she stepped out of the humid bathroom air… against the feelings that she couldn't stop, and her pity for his misery.

She spotted the pajamas on the toilet seat and put them back on for the time being. She knew it would be a little awkward if she walked out with only a towel to hide her female parts. After she put on her clothes, she walked to the door but to only glance at the sink, which was still covered in Danny's vomit. The sight wasn't pretty.

_Ew. _"Well, at least I know he feels like shit today…" She turned on the faucet and let it go down the drain, as well as turning out the lights on her way out the door. However, the situation she saw in the kitchen caught her in a state of shock.

She saw Danny pour the remaining liquid from the aluminum can into one of her glass cups… and the label on the can didn't make her a happy Sam.

**A/N**: This is probably going to be the last chapter for a while (surprise, surprise :P), because by next week I'll be off to Disney World with my family and I. Since it takes a little while to complete one chapter, I won't have time to post another part here before I would have to leave. And no, I won't be able to take my laptop, so I won't be updating until mid April or so. Sorry :( In other cases… REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: I'm BAAAAAAAAAAACK!! ^__^ And AAAAAAAHHHH it's been at least a month! D: Sorry… But thanks to those who reviewed :)

Finally was able to finish this part up. I didn't want it to take as long as it did, but other things got in the way :P So, I present to you, another chapter of this story :) Hopefully you all had a nice Spring Break.

I don't own DP.

--

_Shit._

It seemed a bit awkward for Danny at first.

First he was pouring the beer into the ice-filled glass, and then Sam happened to pop up out of no where, almost as if she knew what he was planning on doing. The female's face was impassive, with her lips forming a thin line, and her arched eyebrows sitting casually above her eyes. Her eyes, however, were filled with the emotion that was missing from her face. In those beautiful amethyst eyes, Danny saw everything. She didn't have to move any part of her face to know how she felt about his intentions. He blew it.

To add to his sudden demise, he had to somehow convince her about his… _evening _the previous night. He felt so fearful of what she'll think, both of his drinking and his loss of control before he--

He stopped his thought process before his mind would end up in the gutter. All that mattered at that very moment was that Sam was PISSED.

Sam didn't know what to think.

She knew Danny just got smashed the other night, as in _recently_, and now he was going to drink _again_? At almost 8:30 in the morning? Just when he practically pumped his stomach out? _I don't think I can take much more of this…_

She felt tears forming in her eyes. She didn't want them to come, and she forced the salty tears to reabsorb. She got used to locking up her feelings in an iron cage since her parents never understood her, even as an adult. However… this was too much. Her best friend… one of her _only_ best friends… was going to lose an internal battle with himself.

Instead of immediate tears streaming down her face, she grew angry more than anything. She had to say something.

Danny braced himself for her outburst.

"Danny… why?" she said, her tone calm for a brief minute. "What the hell are you doing to yourself?"

Danny didn't answer, and only stood in place as if his feet were super glued to the floor. He couldn't move from his position. The only movement that replied to his brain was lower the can he still held tilted in the air onto the counter. His eyes darted from one part of the room to the other every few seconds, nervous as hell.

Sam's voice started rising. "Well, don't you have something to say for yourself?"

Again, Danny was silent. He could only swallow more saliva in his still parched mouth.

"NO?" Danny saw a flash of anger in her eyes. He knew it was coming. Sam moved quickly to his side, her voice dangerous and venomous with an accusing finger pointing in his direction.

"You have every right to be ashamed, Danny Fenton, because even though I just heard about your so-called drinking problem LAST NIGHT, I'm getting tired of this bullshit! Do you know how worried I was about you? You haven't spoken to me in days because of this, and now I'm about ready to bawl from how horrible and ridiculous this is!

"You and Tucker should have told me about this sooner! I could have helped you! I care about you, Danny, why didn't you talk to me about this?" She took a breath, as if to regain her composure, but her voice started to crack.

"This is just… I've had it!" She rubbed her face with her nimble fingers and looked away. _If he continues shit like this, he'll never get past it…_

If Danny had to pick any option at this point, he would have punched himself in the face. Why couldn't he control himself instead of giving into his own temptations? It would have been a sagacious thing to do. Sam wouldn't have to be so upset with him if he chose otherwise. However, trying to calm her down at this very moment wouldn't help the situation; the damage was done, and he knew Sam held grudges.

He wanted to comfort her, and tell her that he didn't mean it. _How could I have been so stupid? _Part of him wanted to go back in time and prevent everything that happened to him: his father's death, his break up with Valerie, getting high at the local bar, and eventually _doing_ Sam.

_I _really_ don't want to bring _that_ up. _

However, only part of him wanted to do all those things that would somehow be obliged with forgiveness. The other selfish part of him wanted to continue his endless grief and wallowing, drinking the pain away and not doing a single damn thing to stop it and make things matter in his life again. No… that'll be too hard. The lack of willpower was easier to give in to.

Still… he had to say _something_ to make Sam feel better, even though it was practically impossible from where it was going. Not only that, but he'll have to apologize, or rather beg, to Sam about his sexual drive he didn't mean to commit the previous night... no matter how exhilarating or phenomenal it might have been.

He watched as her gaze shifted away from his own, making him feel even more miserable. _I always loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. Why can't that come back?_ He finally spoke.

"If it makes you feel any better, I hadn't taken a sip since you walked out of the bathroom. Honest." Her position didn't change. "I didn't drink anything, I swear." He felt stupid and childish for repeating his apologies, but there wasn't much to say. It was silent for half a minute until Sam finally decided to speak, the side of her face peaking behind her shoulder.

"Is this some stupid lie or can I believe what you tell me now?" Her retort came out cold and icy, like the autumn wind before the evening frost, but it wasn't the least bit pleasant.

"I'm telling the truth, Sam. I didn't drink anything since I woke up."

Like he expected, his words didn't faze her. "Prove it."

Danny opened the fridge to reveal the six-pack --now only five cans-- of Budweiser sitting on the highest shelf. "The remaining ones are still in there as well as the one that I just poured in the glass, which I didn't even put my lips against."

Sam's expression softened a bit, as if she was slowly starting to believe his statements and gripped the handle to the fridge, closing it gently. She heaved a sigh, knowing that she once again decided to overreact during stressful situations. She knew Danny wasn't a liar, minus the times he had to come up with stories to hide his secret, so why did she start freaking out? _I need some sleep. If I snap at another person then I'm going to lose a few friends._

"Danny, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to--"

"I understand, Sam…" _Don't apologize for shit that was _my_ fault._ "…It was dumb of me to even start this crap in the first place, and it only made my life worse… and not just my own." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to cause any more stress in my best friends' lives. I just… wanted something to turn to. I felt lost."

Sam couldn't help but want to ask as she listened, "So you couldn't come to us for support?"

His eyes met hers for the first time in the past ten minutes. "I wanted to be alone, Sam. I just needed to think things through and step away from all of the events that occurred to me. Vlad just killed my father after many years of his failed attempts and it was a major kick in the gut that he finally managed to do it so simply and easily!" For the first time since his problems dawned on him, Danny started to express how he was feeling. It felt strange at first, since he usually talked to his friends about everything. But now, situations like this were just too unbearable for him to bring up... even for his friends. Again, distain flooded his mind as his eyes changed into a bright green with a quick blink. "He's going to pay."

That quick flash of anger she saw in him was something Sam didn't want to see. She's seen him do some dangerous things with his powers driven by anger and frustration. At times, it was out of his control and happened haphazardly. However, in some circumstances when the people he cared about were in danger, raw indignation was clearly visible in his actions. She knew how scary he could be when his emotions conducted his mind process.

"Take it easy, Danny…" Sam tried to soothe him. "Vlad is in enough trouble as it is, and probably wouldn't regain his high status because of his crime. Right now, I bet he's out of a job, a home, and is probably out on the street begging for a few dimes."

"I doubt it," said Danny, his expression a bit more tranquil now that his eyes returned to a calm blue. "With his ghost powers, he can do anything he wants. He can easily manipulate others to do the things he desires, and is probably at his home in Wisconsin right now with his crime records burning in his fireplace." He leaned against the kitchen counter, his face buried in his hands, sighing. His head was still aching. "Not only that, but I keep having reoccurring thoughts about Valerie… and how much I loved her…

"I just wish I could have done something to prevent all of this…"

Sam looked at her best friend, worried for him. She could obviously see that he needed her and Tucker to get through his losses. She knew it would be difficult for him, but they had to try. But, she couldn't help but feel warm inside that he cared so much for the people he loved. She admired a lot of things about him… especially because of the reasons behind his super hero business: to help others. At that moment, he was the one that needed help. A small smile started to spread on her face.

"I don't know about you, Danny," said Sam, leaning against the counter with him, "but it looks like you need a hug."

Amusement filled his features, a weak smirk forming on his lips. "Very funny, Sam."

"I'm serious," she said. She placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently as if to calm his senses. Danny couldn't help but feel at peace; her slender fingers and slow, circular movements caused a warm sensation against his body. If he'd lift up the sleeve to his shirt than he would have felt it against his own skin. "You look like you need some comfort…"

He didn't have the heart to turn her down. He rolled his eyes mockingly. "Alright… So I just might need a hug."

Sam didn't hesitate to embrace him, choosing to remain there for a long period of time. With everything going on all at once, the two felt the need to have a long moment to be silent and together. Danny didn't mind. He was glad that she at least cared about him. He was grateful to have a friend like her who was very down-to-earth.

The same taunting aroma of Mother Nature's elements filled her nostrils, making Sam suddenly feel relaxed even after all the constant drama that occurred in barely two days. Feelings of euphoria clouded her mind, loving the position she was currently in. She didn't know why, but she felt so safe and protected, as if all the problems she's been dealing with have melted away like the hot Spring sun releasing winter's icy grip. She continued to greedily inhale the scent, finally realizing how familiar it was.

_It's the same aroma I smelled on Danny's hair… _God_, I missed it. I didn't know he smelled like this in general…_

Danny couldn't help but feel just as peaceful. Holding his best friend right in his arms… feeling warmth rush over him by a human's touch. It felt good to have someone there for him. However, the warmth that came rushing in wasn't only caused by loneliness. Sam's hair was still damp, and the way it touched his skin made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end; her skin was still soft from her recent shower, and he could still smell the remains of the soap she used to wash. He shut his eyes as he felt himself starting to fantasize.

_I must have died somehow… because I bet this is heaven…_

"Hey, guys!"

Sam and Danny jolted awake from their embrace, breaking away and nearly falling to the floor in a heap. They looked to see who made the loud greeting and witnessed a drowsy Tucker standing with a backpack filled with textbooks. He also looked like he was about ready to soil his pants from their scare.

"Geez, guys, I didn't know you were enjoying your hug _that_ much, or else you two wouldn't have been so jumpy," giggled Tucker.

"Tucker!" growled Sam, "you nearly gave us a heart attack!"

"Consider it payback," Tucker grinned.

As humorous as the situation was, Tucker felt a bit awkward for being late. It was 8:30 AM at the latest, and during this time Sam would have been off to work. Strangely enough, he still found her here with Danny… and apparently in a comfortable situation. _This is definitely going to be a repeat of high school._

"Well, anyway, sorry that I'm a little late," Tucker said. "I needed some sleep since I stayed up all night to finish my essay. I'm guessing you two are doing just _dandy_?"

Danny gave Tucker an annoyed expression. "We were just hugging, Tuck. Please don't be a pervert at 8:30 in the morning…" …_or else I'll feel twice as guilty about getting in bed with my best friend._

"8:30?!" Sam suddenly cried. "Oh, crap, I'm late for work!" As quick as a flash, Sam rushed back into the bathroom to resume getting herself ready. The two men stood near the kitchen, both feeling a bit awkward.

"So… how was this morning?" Tucker asked casually, hopefully trying to make conversation.

Danny put on a fake smile. "Oh, just _excellent_, Tucker. I really enjoyed the part when Sam shot down the little pride I had left in me."

As a reply, Tucker frowned; cringing his body in a wilted posture. _You had to ask a stupid question, huh? _"Sam gave you a good talk?"

"Hell yeah," said Danny. "She was pretty pissed off. I can't blame her much, though. I kind of… caved in to my own temptations this morning…"

Tucker's expression completely changed in the blink of an eye. "Smooth, dude. _Real_ smooth."

It was Danny's turn to cringe. "It was driving me nuts! I couldn't take the pressure anymore. I felt like I needed it somehow, and when I was going to take the first sip, Sam caught me right handed. I knew I was screwed when she saw me."

"Man… that sucks," replied Tucker. "At least you guys made up from where I was standing?"

Danny smiled to himself at the thought. Even something so simple made him feel warm inside once more. Strangely, though, those thoughts seemed to startle him. He felt warm inside whenever he was near Sam and he couldn't interpret why. Tucker noticed his pause and small grin, and smiled slyly.

"Yeah… you can say we're a bit better…"

Danny found himself thinking of Sam more often then he probably should. Her scent, her hair, her eyes, her smile… all of it made him think differently. _Why am I suddenly so aroused by Sam's behaviors? I've never done this before around her… so why now?_

Tucker found his reply good enough to be passable. The look he saw on Danny's face was pure gold. _The guy's still clueless… I feel so sorry for him._

Sam finally emerged from the bathroom, carrying her purse and jingling car keys in her hands. Her face and hair looked more presentable with make-up covering her eyes and lips and her hair up in a pony tail. Her attire was the traditional work clothing, and in black as always. Danny caught himself staring.

_Fenton… just knock it off._

Sam glanced at the two boys before she would have to practically run out the door. She knew Tucker had to go to class at a later time, and won't be staying much longer, so Danny would pretty much be left alone. However, for as long as she has been the best of friends with him, she couldn't trust him now; not with the six-pack still in the fridge. He seemed to have better control, but he could easily cave.

"Okay, guys, I really have to get to work so my boss doesn't rip my head off," she said, organizing her belongings that sat miscellaneously in her purse. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay."

"It's understandable, Sam," Tucker said. "I can't stay much longer either, since I have that English class today around 10:15."

"So… I'm guessing I'll be alone?" asked Danny, though he already knew the answer to the question.

"Oh, no, you don't," Sam said, her finger waving in front of his face. "I'm not leaving you alone again, not after what happened the previous night…"

_Did she find out?! _Danny thought to himself. His stomach started to knot. _Oh, Christ, I'm screwed…_

"So, where can we drop off Danny since he can't go back to Valerie's and he can't stay at your apartment?" Tucker asked.

"If anything, we'll send him to his parent's house for now," said Sam.

"Can we stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" Danny said, growing agitated. "Suddenly I get high and everyone distrusts me just because I've made a few mistakes. What the hell? I know that I have some issues, but that doesn't mean I lack a mind that knows what's right and wrong. I _can_ be trusted, Tucker… _Sam_…"

Sam focused her eyes away from his.

"Danny… we do trust you as a friend," Tucker said, "But… it's also because of the fact that we don't have a clue on where to place you for the time being."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… what do you plan on doing in Sam's house while she's off to work and I'm off to collage? You, I don't think, have any classes today, so you're going to be bored stiff… which would lead to that fridge right over there." He pointed his thumb towards the kitchen, referring to Danny's screw up. Knowing this, Danny lowered his gaze in embarrassment.

"Tuck's right, Danny," said Sam. "We're going to have to drop you off at your mom's house while we do our things. I'm usually done with my shift around three, so I can pick up Tucker and you and--"

She stopped her thoughts, knowing that what she might say would cause Danny to completely back out of the agreement. Tucker and Danny stared at her in bewilderment, wondering when she'll finish her sentence.

"And you'll _what_?" asked Danny.

"Um…" _C'mon, say something! _"Let's just say that I have something planned this afternoon…"

Tucker and Danny exchanged glances.

"Look, can we just go with it? I really have to get to work!"

"Fine, fine," Tucker said in a hurried fashion. "I'll just drive Danny to his mom's house and I'll get to collage. Then we'll meet back here and do whatever the hell you wanted to do, Sam."

"Good," she said. "I'll see you guys later!" Sam quickly ran out of the apartment almost too quickly, the door slamming with the loud _whoosh!_ of the door.

Danny furrowed his brow in thought. _She's up to something… but I wish I knew _what_…_

--

**A/N: **I know, the ending is rushed, but this story hasn't been updated in a while, so I wanted it out of the way so I can start the next chapter. Please R & R! :)


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